Unit-I
Water Treatment
Prof. Pritam N. Mule
Assistant Professor
Faculty of Engineering
Yashoda Mahadeo Kakade College of
Engineering, Talegaon Dabhade
Content
Introduction
Sources of Water
Impurities in Water
Hard and Soft Water
Hardness of Water
Softening of Water
Introduction
• IMPORTANCE OF WATER
Living things are indeed in need of water.
It cleanses our body.
It energizes us every day.
It keeps our body temperature at the right
level.
It is one of the essential resources for our
health
Distribution of Earths Water
Water is essential for the existence of
human beings, animals and plants.
Though 80% of the earth’s surface is
occupied with water, less than 1% of water
is available for ready use.
Water quality
Surface and ground water are normally used for
industrial and domestic purposes. Hence undesirable impurities
should be removed from these water.
Water treatment / water technology:
The process of removing all types of impurities from water and
make it suitable for industrial and domestic purposes.
Water Parameters:
Hardness, alkalinity, total dissolved solids (TDS), dissolved
oxygen (DO), colour, iron, chloride and turbidity.
Fluoride, sulphate, nitrate, nitrite, biochemical oxygen demand
(BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD) , metal ions – Mn, Pb, As.
Sources of Water
Impurities in Water
Any soluble, insoluble, biological, organic and
inorganic substance present in water is termed as
impurity in water.
1. Suspended Impurities
2. Colloidal Impurities
3. Dissolved Impurities
4. Biological Impurities
Hard and Soft Water
Hard water: does not produce lather with soap solution, but
produces white precipitate.
2 C17H35COONa + Ca2+ (C17H35COO)2Ca + 2 Na+
sodium soap hardness calcium soap
(water soluble) causing (water insoluble)
ion
Soft water: produces lather readily with soap solution.
Disadvantages of using hard
water
Difference between hard and
soft water
Hardness of water
Hardness – The property or characteristics of water, which
does not produce lather with soap.
Detection of hardness
Hard water does not produce lather with soap solution and
produces white scum.
Hard water gives wine red colour with Eriochrome Black-T
indicator at pH 9 – 10.
Types of Hardness
1. Temporary hardness (or) Carbonate hardness:
- due to the presence of bicarbonates of Ca and Mg.
- removed by boiling the water; adding lime to the water.
2. Permanent hardness (or) Non-carbonate hardness:
- due to the presence of chlorides and sulphates of Ca and Mg.
- removed by i) lime soda process and ii) zeolite process.
3. Total hardness – the sum of temporary hardness and
permanent hardness.
Units of hardness
ppm – the number of parts by weight of CaCO3 equivalent hardness per
million (106) parts of water.
mg/l – the number of milligrams of CaCO3 equivalent hardness per litre
of water.
Grains per imperial gallon (gpg) or Clarke's degree (OCl)
French Degree (OF)
Milliequivalent per liter (meq/l)
The concentration of hardness producing salts is calculated as
Mass of hardness producing salt x 50
Amount of equivalent of CaCO3 = --------------------------------------------------
Chemical equivalent of the hardness
producing substance
Determination of hardness
by EDTA method
Water Characteristics
Purpose
Quality requirements
Drinking
Edible, clear and free from colour, odor, turbidity and pathogens.
Domestic washing
Soft water producing lather readily.
Textile dyeing
Free from colour, turbidity, organic matter, Fe and Mn.
Boiler feed water
Free from dissolved salts, suspended impurities, silica and dissolved gases.
Drugs and pharmaceuticals
Soft and clear. Free from pathogens, colour, odor and suspended impurities.
Construction
Not too hard, should contain less of chlorides.
Paper industry
Free from colour, turbidity, organic matter, Fe, Mn, silica and alkalinity
Softening of Water
Water softening, also known as water conditioning, is a process
that removes excess minerals from water sources
Water softening removes ions like calcium, magnesium, and
sometimes iron from water. These ions make it hard for
products with other positively charged ions to dissolve in water.
Processes
Demineralization or Ion exchange process
Lime-soda process
Reverse Osmosis
Ion Exchange or
Demineralization Process
This process removes almost all the ions present in water.
Soft water does not contain hardness producing Ca 2+ and Mg2+
ions but it may contain other ions like Na+, K+, Cl-, SO42-.
Ion exchangers are resins with a long chain, cross-linked,
insoluble organic polymers with a microporous structure.
The functional groups attached to the chains are responsible
for the ion exchanging properties Ion Exchange or
Demineralization Process
Ion Exchange or Demineralization
Process
The two types of resins are used for demineralization process:
Cation exchange resins –
Possess acidic group such as –COOH or –SO3H groups.
Cations in hard water are exchanged with H+ ions of this resins. This resin
may be represented as RH2.
examples: sulphonated coal, sulphonated polystyrene
Anion exchange resins –
Possess basic groups such as OH- or NH2- group.
Anions in hard water are exchanged with –OH ions of this resins. It may be
represented as R’(OH)2.
examples – cross-linked quaternary ammonium salts, urea-formaldehyde
resin.
Ion Exchange or
Demineralization Process
CH CH2 CH CH2 CH CH2
SO3H SO3H
SO3H
CH CH2 CH CH2 CH CH2 CH
SO3H SO3H
CH CH2 CH CH2 CH CH2 CH
SO3H SO3H
SO3H
A strongly acidic sulphonated polystyrene cation exchange resin
Ion Exchange or
Demineralization Process
CH CH2 CH CH2 CH CH2
_
+
CH2NR3 OH
+ _
HOR3NH2C
CH CH2 CH CH2 CH CH2 CH
+ _
SO3H HOR3NH2C
CH CH2 CH CH2 CH CH2 CH
+ _ _
+
HOR3NH2C CH2NR3 OH
A strongly basic quaternary ammonium anion exchange resin
Ion Exchange or
Demineralization Process
Ion Exchange or
Demineralization Process
Ion Exchange or
Demineralization Process
Hard water is first passed through the cation exchange resin.
The cations like Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, etc. in hard water get
exchanged with H+ ions of the resin.
RH2 + CaCl2 RCa + 2HCl
RH2 + MgSO4 RMg + H2SO4
RH + NaCl RNa + HCl
The water coming out from this column is acidic in nature.
Ion Exchange or Demineralization
Process
RCa + 2HCl RH2 + CaCl2
RNa + HCl RH + NaCl
R'Cl2 + 2NaOH R'(OH)2 + 2NaCl
Ion Exchange or
Demineralization Process
• Advantages
The hardness of water can be reduced to about 2 ppm and hence it is
suitable for use in high pressure boilers.
Highly acidic or highly alkaline water can be softened by using this
process.
• Limitations
The resin used in the process are quite expensive.
If water contains turbidity, the efficiency of the process is reduced.
Water containing Fe and Mn cannot be treated because they form
stable product with the resins.
Lime-soda process
The lime-soda process is a water treatment method that uses
the addition of lime (Ca(OH)2) and soda ash (Na2CO3) to
remove hardness from water.
It's also known as lime softening, lime buttering, or Clark's
process
Lime-soda process
Mix chemicals: The chemicals are mixed into the
water, followed by rapid mixing.
React: The chemicals react with the water's hardness and
natural alkalinity to form insoluble compounds.
Precipitate: The compounds precipitate and are removed
from the water by sedimentation and filtration.
Lime-soda process
The lime-soda process is commonly used by industry to reduce
water hardness.
However, one disadvantage is that it forms a large amount of
precipitate, which can be difficult to dispose of.
Reverse Osmosis
Reverse osmosis (RO) is a water purification process that uses
a semipermeable membrane to remove ions, molecules, and
larger particles from water. It works by applying pressure to
force water through the membrane, leaving contaminants
behind.
Reverse Osmosis
Reverse Osmosis Principle
To break down the process further, due to the presence of a
membrane, large molecules of the solute are not able to cross through
it and they remain on the pressurized side. The pure solvent, on the
other hand, is allowed to pass through the membrane. When this
happens the molecules of the solute start becoming concentrated on
one side while the other side of the membrane becomes dilute.
Furthermore, the levels of solutions also change to some degree.
In essence, reverse osmosis takes place when the solvent passes
through the membrane against the concentration gradient. It
basically moves from a higher concentration to a lower concentration.
Reverse Osmosis
Reverse Osmosis Process
Osmotic pressure is the minimum pressure required to stop solvent flow
through the semipermeable membrane. Therefore, when the solution side (the
side where the solute concentration is high) is subjected to a pressure greater
than the osmotic pressure, the solvent particles on the solution side move
through the semipermeable membrane to the region where the solute
concentration is low. Such inverse solvent movement through the
semipermeable membrane is called reverse osmosis.
It is important to note that the pressure applied to the solution side must be
higher than the osmotic pressure for the reverse osmosis process to proceed.
Osmotic pressure is a colligative property, which depends on the
concentration of the solution. In water purification, the reverse osmosis
process is very important. Many water purifiers used today use reverse
Reverse Osmosis
How does Reverse Osmosis work?
An easy experiment can be conducted by taking some
freshwater and a concentrated aqueous solution. The solutions should
be kept on opposite sides with a semipermeable membrane placed in
between to separate the two solutions. Pressure should be applied on
the side with the concentrated solution. Now this will result in water
molecules moving through the membrane to the freshwater side. This
basically sums up the process of reverse osmosis.
Reverse Osmosis
Benefits of Reverse Osmosis
1. Some of the benefits of reverse osmosis are discussed below.
2. This process can be used to effectively remove many types of
dissolved and suspended chemical particles as well as biological
entities (like bacteria) from the water.
3. This technique has a wide application in treating liquid wastes
or discharges.
4. It is used in purifying water to prevent diseases.
5. It helps in desalinating seawater.
6. It is beneficial in the medical field.
Reverse Osmosis
Advantages of Reverse Osmosis
1. Reverse Osmosis has several advantages, including the following:
2. Bacteria, viruses and pyrogenic materials are rejected by the
intact membrane. In this respect, RO water approaches distilled
water in quality.
3. Available units are relatively compact and require little space.
They are well suited to home dialysis.
4. In average use, the membrane has a life of a little more than one
to two years before replacement is necessary.
5. Periodic complete sterilization of the RO system with formalin or
other sterilant is practical.
Reverse Osmosis
Disadvantages of Reverse Osmosis
1. The disadvantages of RO systems include the following;
2. Cellulose acetate membranes have limited pH tolerance. They
degrade at temperatures greater than 35 Degree Celsius. They
are vulnerable to bacteria. They eventually hydrolyze.
3. Polyamide membranes are intolerant of temperatures greater
than 35 Degree Celsius. They have poor tolerance for free
chlorine.
4. Thin-film composites are intolerant of chlorine. High flux
polysulfide's require softening or deionization of feed water to
function properly.
Dissolved Oxygen
Dissolved oxygen (DO) refers to the amount of oxygen gas that is
dissolved in water.
It is an essential component for the respiration of aquatic
organisms like fish, invertebrates, and microorganisms. The level
of dissolved oxygen in water can be influenced by various factors
such as temperature, water movement, salinity, and the presence
of organic matter or pollutants.
Dissolved Oxygen
Importance of Dissolved Oxygen:
Aquatic Life: Oxygen is necessary for the survival of most
aquatic organisms. Without adequate levels, fish and other
aquatic animals may suffocate.
Water Quality: It is an important indicator of water quality.
Low levels of DO often suggest pollution or organic decay,
which can lead to hypoxic (low-oxygen) or anoxic (no oxygen)
conditions.
Ecosystem Health: Healthy ecosystems require sufficient
oxygen to support biological processes and nutrient cycles.
Dissolved Oxygen
Factors Influencing Dissolved Oxygen:
Temperature: Colder water can hold more dissolved oxygen than warmer
water.
Water Movement: Flowing water (e.g., rivers) typically has higher DO
levels compared to stagnant water (e.g., lakes).
Salinity: Saltwater holds less dissolved oxygen than freshwater.
Pollution: Organic pollution (e.g., sewage) can lead to oxygen depletion as
microorganisms consume oxygen to break down waste.
Photosynthesis: Aquatic plants and phytoplankton contribute to oxygen
production during the day, but consume it at night.
Treatment of water for domestic
purpose
• Aeration
1 • Chemical Addition
• Coagulation
2 • Sedimentation
• Filtration
3 • Disinfection
